George Bellairs has written a series of 56 books. One is made to feel sympathy for the victim and the survivors who are also victims in their way. He'd Rather Be Dead is an excellent Golden Age mystery by George Bellairs, starring his series detective Inspector Littlejohn. Inspector Littlejohn, once again, is called upon to solve a complex murder in a seaside resort town of Westcombe, along with the various suspects whom share a personal and professional animosity towards our murdered victim, Sir Gideon Ware. Fortunately, Detective-Inspector Hazard of Westcombe was assigned by the Chief to serve as Littlejohn's assistant in this investigation. The social imbalance is of interest because England was definitely based on a class system much sterner and stricter than ours. He plans on having a grand time watching the fun from his seat of honor. This fun murder and golf. The feud between the two oldest men in the village, the village bobby and his squeaky shoes, the foibles of the postmistress and her love of France and all things French… There are some more ugly characters, of course, but even those show glimmers of humanity. Death In Desolation.
Littlejohn's first impression of the Chief Constable was less than underwhelming. Death Drops The Pilot. Bellairs always has a dab hand in describing the people and the background in his books. 'He'd Rather Be Dead' is a classic detective mystery by one of the masters of the genre. George Bellairs was the nom de plume of Harold Blundell (1902-1985), a crime writer and bank manager born in Heywood, near Rochdale, Lancashire, who settled in the Isle of Man on retirement. Avatar: The Last Airbender Books. The style of the confession is florid and full of self-pity so a rather tedious way to end. While it has Bellairs's usual excellent prose and powers of description, it lacked, I felt, the witty characterisations of the main participants which I usually expect from him. Jake brigance series. We would recommend you read the Chief Inspector Littlejohn series in order by series number which is: 3. Strangers Among The Dead. If you like mysteries, especially ones that seem impossible to solve, you'll like this book. He'd Rather Be Dead (1945) by George Bellairs. The local police, afraid of offending powerful political people, calls on Scotland Yard to investigate.
Another excellent murder mystery by Mr. Bellairs! Finally, I would not have guessed the culprit until the very end solely because we see the clues as and when the Inspector does and not a moment before. The Folk of the Air. Towards the end of the narrative, however, there was so much included about the leading players that I chastised myself for completely sorting them all out into black or white positions. Littlejohn is assisted by Detective Inspector Hazard of the local police. Regrettably, Littlejohn's usual sidekick DS Cromwell makes only a brief appearance late in the story. Become a LibraryThing Author. I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to more from Bellairs. To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. He may not have been as innovative as Christie, Marsh or Allingham or other big crime fiction names, and maybe the problem is his coming around ten or so years later, at the very end of the 'Golden Age'. He'd Rather Be Dead, 1945. The dialogue, though admittedly a product of its time, is well written and urbane, lightly witty and humorous. As Ware rises to give his speech he shows signs of being unwell, collapsing just a short while later.
We get the question all the time ". The denouement was satisfying, although I didn't really need the murderer's diary at the end to tie up the loose ends. The few bits that were new weren't amazing enough to require us to read through those journal excerpts. For the social comment alone it is worth reading this novel but that is certainly not the only reason. Toll The Bell For Murder. Chief Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is called to unravel the knots. Business & Investing Books. He'd Rather Be Dead is still quite readable with some beautifully observed moments but those reading primarily for the puzzle are likely to be a little disappointed by how straightforward the case becomes. It's a missed opportunity that also blunts the impact the author might otherwise have achieved with the remainder of the ending. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. Buy with confidence!
This is an engagingly written and well constructed golden age mystery. Available on NetGalley. Littlejohn's character doesn't really change or develop: it's purely about the mystery he's investigating. I take issue, however, with the long diary addendum. Let's hope that every single one is republished. This is one I can recommend. Well developed characters and a marvellous murder mystery that keeps you guessing till the end. Add 4 Books Priced Under $5 To Your Cart. For example, I liked Bellairs' rather off-hand sympathy with the ordinary housewife, who has lost out to the staff of the Grand Hotel, who were up in the wee hours of the morning with cash in hand, and thus snagged (legally or not) rationed goods before she had a chance to. Philosophy, theory & social aspects. Like most of the Bellairs novels I have read the author's greatest interest seems to lie in trying to capture a sense of a place and the people who might reside in it. As usual George Bellairs pulls off a first class mystery which I unhesitatingly recommend to all fans of the authors of Golden Age Detective fiction. Everything in this seaside resort is a bit of a fun house mirror, creating an illusion of fun on top of a corrupt society.
Despite that, Cromwell is able to unearth a crucial bit of information which helps put Littlejohn on a trail to the killer. Lightbringer series. Westcombe, like Brighton or Bournemouth, is a holiday fairy land, a place where fun seekers and frolicking families head for a summer outing. George Bellairs is the author of Calamity at Harwood (2014), Death in the Wasteland (2016), Devious Murder (2014), Death of a Shadow (2016) and other 95 books. Maya Angelou's Autobiography. First line: Perhaps someday a worthy biographer will write the life story of Sir Gideon Ware as a signpost to guide the young to success. Not so when Bellairs gets going. So when Ware drops dead in the middle of his annual lunch, no one is surprised to hear that murder is suspected. The Shadow and Bone Trilogy. There's a long list of potential suspects for Littlejohn to interview, one which is murdered before being questioned. He feels dimensional and realistic, reminding me of a few people I have met in my own life, and the author does a fine job of exploring the gap between how he perceives himself and how he is perceived by those who have come to rely on him.
Graphic Novels & Comic Books. Adventures of Tom and Huck. ISBN||9781913099121|. The murder of a prominent but disliked city official happens at a very public banquet. The victim, Sir Gideon Ware, has not only found a way to antagonize all of the important townsfolks but also enjoys needling them, sitting each next to their enemies. Against the background of fascinating Provence, a fantastic case is solved. It was good, hard, old-fashioned detective work. I even briefly considered whether I ought to classify this novel as an impossible crime story; it's the closest thing I have found in Bellairs' oeuvre so far, though I would suggest that those reading purely for that aspect of the puzzle are likely to be disappointed but the solid but unexciting explanation as to how it was managed. Although there are lots of people who wanted him dead, it seems to come down pretty quickly to just two. Enjoyable classic crime mystery. Littlejohn isn't a flashy detective, but that makes him the more enjoyable in a quiet, methodical way. He's the perfect murder victim in the style of the Golden Age crime novels. What was once a quaint little harbour is now miles of level, concrete promenade, and acres of pleasure-beach, embracing every kind of device for human entertainment and sensation. The poison took effect during the middle of a public luncheon where Ware had surrounded himself with people who disliked him.
His settings and dialogue are excellent giving one the feeling of being "right there. " According to Goodreads, there are 57 books in the series. The towns own police force is reluctant to question all these important people so Scotland Yard is asked for assistance, and Imspector Littlejohn arrives. He is escorted back... With an Introduction by Martin EdwardsTwo classic cases featuring Detective Inspector Littlejohn. Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews. Organizations & institutions. A Bad Day for the Mayor. He rises from his seat to offer a toast to his guests and promptly falls down dead--apparently from poison. Their numbering system is extremely wonky, but these books do not seem to need to be read in order.
With all of the small-town politics issues, and secrets, the chief constable is reluctant to lead this investigation, so he asks Scotland Yard to help.
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